Sourdough maestro, Andrew Connole, is taking Australia on an immersive journey around the world to discover the personalities, stories and places behind the world’s best bread. An eight-part series, For the Love of Bread, premieres 7 March 2021 at 5.30pm on SBS Food and will be available to stream on SBS On Demand.
Andrew traces the story of one of life’s staple foods, bread, taking viewers on a journey from Athens to Valletta onto Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, Copenhagen and finally San Francisco. He showcasesthe amazing sites and food havens in these great cities and introduces some of the world’s best bakers who continue to perfect and innovate the ancient craft of artisan bread making.
For the Love of Bread uncovers the passion driving the world’s best bakers, the celebrated breads of each city, and emerging culinary trends. For thousands of years, in one form or another, it has been part of the daily lives of much of the world’s population. In the series Andrew talks with some of the world’s most influential bakers, exploring their community and their personal journey on how they came to be a baker.
Every country has its own flavour, style and history – shaped by the local produce, culture, and the people that spend their lives making bread. Many of these stories have never told with such insight and passion.
Taking viewers on this adventure is Andrew Connole, artisan baker and entrepreneur. From humble
beginnings, baking loaves in the north western NSW town of Bellata and selling them at farmers markets in Sydney, to now running one of the country’s leading artisan bakeries, Sonoma, Andrew has been immersed in the world of bread for most of his life.
“I am excited to be leading viewers on this journey. To me bread is more than just a staple, it’s a way of life.
And I want to share that passion by finding out what inspires the world’s best artisan bakers to create. That’s For the Love of Bread!” said Andrew Connole.
For the Love of Bread tracks the multi-cultural origins of some of the world’s greatest bread products, including the popular koulouri street snacks in Greece, the Maltese pastizi, the artisan baking in Berlin, the famous sourdough croissant in France, produce at London’s 2000-year-old Borough Market and the Crust and Crumb Bread Festival in Vienna.
Along his journey, Andrew meets with some of the world’s most recognised and highly regarded bakers, including Alexandros and Vasilis Rizoz in Athens; Anthony Buttigieg at the famous Makren’s Bakery in Malta; Dov Selby at Berlin Food Experience, Anthony Courteille at Sain Boulangerie and Appollina Poilâne of Poilâne in Paris, Lizzie Parle at E5 Bakehouse in London, Helmut Gragger at Gragger and Cie in Austria, Emil Glaser at Juno the Bakery in Copenhagen and in the finale, he reconnects with his mentor Chad Robertson in San Francisco. In Copenhagen, Andrew also dines at Noma and interviews Rene Redzepi, to discuss food, culture and the pursuit of excellence.
The story of Sonoma is one of Australia’s great business success stories. Andrew travelled to San Francisco in 1998 to learn the art of baking naturally fermented sourdough bread from leading baker, Chad Robertson and wood-fire oven pioneer, Alan Scott. He then headed home to Australia fired up with passion, purpose and a determination to perfect the art of naturally fermented sourdough. Over the course of the next two years, the business grew from baking 300 loaves per week in his Bellata hometown bakery to sell the loaves at the Paddington markets where the demand grew. As a result, he made the call to relocate Sonoma to Sydney in 2000.
Today, Sonoma runs eight bakeries across Sydney located in Glebe, Leichardt, Alexandria, Waterloo,
Woollahra, Bondi, Manly and Rose Bay; a bakery in Canberra and in Bowral, regional New South Wales. All local buzzing hotspots serving happy customers good food, great speciality coffee roasted inhouse along with a range of sourdough loaves to take away.
For the Love of Bread airs in Australia exclusively on SBS Food from March 7 and in the USA and Canada on Tastemade.
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